Panathinaikos at Barcelona
Date: 12/13
Time: 9:00 PM CET
Game Preview
The final game to tip-off in Round 13 could be the best, as two teams near the top of the standings and two players in the MVP conversation will square off in Barcelona. A streaking Panathinaikos team, inspired by new coach Rick Pitino and led by point guard Nick Calathes will square off against a Barcelona team that has lost just three times all season and features the league's highest-paid player -- offseason addition Nikola Mirotic. The game could go either way, but it certainly won't lack for star power and excitement, and a dose of drama could be added as well.
Injuries
Panathinaikos
None
FC Barcelona Lassa
Victor Claver - GTD - Foot
12/5 8:34 PM IST - Claver (foot) will resume practicing next week, according to Ernest Macia of Catalunya Radio. Claver will not return at the front end of his 4-to-6 week recovery timeline, but he could still be back on the court at some point during the original estimate.
Thomas Heurtel - OUT - Knee
12/7 11:35 PM IST - Heurtel (knee) has resumed taking jump shots, according to Barcelona's official Twitter account. Heurtel has been sidelined since undergoing knee surgery in August, but he has advanced to the point in his recovery where he can take part in on-court work. Heurtel still has a few steps to go before he will be ready to play again, but it appears he remains on track to return to action early in 2020.
Kevin Pangos - OUT - Toe
12/3 11:47 PM IST - Pangos is still dealing with soreness in his injured toe and will be evaluated on a "week-by-week" basis moving forward, according to eurohoops.net. It was anticipated that Pangos would return to action in 4-to-6 weeks after injuring his toe in September, but he has already missed two months and will need even more time to fully recover. A target date for his return has not been established, but based on this report, it seems safe to say he will not play in Barcelona's next EuroLeague game Friday against Khimki.
Panathinaikos Probable Starters
G - Nick Calathes
G - Jimmer Fredette
F - Deshaun Thomas
F - Ioannis Papapetrou
C - Georgios Papagiannis
FC Barcelona Lassa Probable Starters
G - Cory Higgins
G - Adam Hanga
F - Rolands Smits
F - Nikola Mirotic
C - Brandon Davies
Top Picks
(Captain) Nick Calathes, PAN - Calathes simply gets the job done week-in and week-out, and is averaging 13.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 8.8 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. He is a triple-double threat any time he takes the court.
Nikola Mirotic, BAR - Barcelona's big addition over the offseason has paid huge dividends early, leading his team with averages of 19.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game. He has scored fewer than 19 points just once from Round 7 onward.
Deshaun Thomas, PAN - Thomas is about as reliable as they come as a scorer, putting up between 13-19 points in six straight games. His average of 14.2 points per game checks in 11th in the entire league.
Ioannis Papapetrou, PAN - Papapetrou has not come close to matching the career-high 39 points he put up in Round 8, but that would be tough for even the best players in the league to do. Papapetrou has still gotten the job done in the scoring department the last few weeks, and has now reached double figures in five straight Rounds.
Captaincy Options
Dream11 team
Grand League Combination
Calathes, Mirotic, Rice, Tomic
Small League Combination
Calathes, Thomas, Higgins, Papapetrou
